sonata form

Sonata Formand Beethoven’s 5th

Symphony

RSNO Maestro Music 2011

Intended LearningO In this presentation, we will learn

about sonata formO Beethoven used sonata form to write

the first movement of his 5th Symphony, which will be the first piece performed in Maestro Music 2011

O We will learn about the different parts of sonata form and how Beethoven applied them in this piece

Copyright Sophie Lang 2011

IntroductionO You will almost definitely recognise

the first line of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, even if you didn’t know that was what it was!

O But there is more to that infamous four note motive – da da da dum – than meets the eye


IntroductionO Beethoven apparently referred to it

as ‘fate knocking at the door’, which many people believe was a reference to his impending deafness

O Wherever he drew the inspiration, he could not let go of those powerful few notes: They crop up again and again, forming the basis for the entire first movement


IntroductionO Beethoven could be said to fall in to

both the Classical and Romantic periods in music, and certainly exhibits traits from both

O He constantly pushed boundaries, siding him more with the Romantic composers, but he still used Classical forms

O One of the most important of these is Sonata Form


Sonata Form OutlineO You might think it strange that

sonata form is used in a symphony, not, as you might expect, in a sonata

O But composers such as Mozart and Haydn had been doing so before Beethoven in the first movement of their symphonies and he simply carried on the tradition


Sonata Form OutlineO Sonata form can be summed up by

splitting it in to three sections:• Exposition (A1)• Development (B)• Recapitulation (A2)O Sometimes a Coda follow the

recapitulation, as in the case of Beethoven’s Fifth


ExpositionO This is the first section of the pieceO It introduces the main themes and

motives that will be heard throughout the movement


ExpositionO It usually consists of:

• First Subject: an opening theme in the tonic key

• Transition (or bridge passage) to another key

• Second subject: a second, usually contrasting, theme in the new key

O Often, the whole exposition will be repeated


ExpositionO These are the themes to be listening

out for in the first movement of Beethoven 5:• The famous four-note motive is the

First Subject:


Exposition• Beethoven immediately captures our

attention with this abrupt motive• It is also memorable, so we will

recognise it as it reoccurs throughout the symphony

• The transition also contains the four-note motive, where it is slightly elongated to become a solo horn call


ExpositionO The Second Subject is a longer, legato

phrase in the relative major (E flat):

O Listen carefully, though, and you will hear the first subject motive in the cellos and double basses, accompanying the strings’ and winds’ second subject


Development SectionO As the name suggest, this is the

section of the piece where the themes from the recapitulation are developed

O The composer is therefore creating new music from existing ideas, be they melodic or rhythmic


Development SectionO The music will travel through a number of

keys (composers such as Beethoven and his successors pushed the boundaries and used keys that were further and further from the ‘home’ key, or Tonic)

O Towards the end of the Development Section, the composer has to find a way back to the Tonic and to the Recapitulation, where the themes of the exposition are replayed


Development SectionO Snatches to listen out for:

• The development section starts ominously: The four-note motive is passed around different groups of instruments, sounding unsettled for a while

• This passing around continues to build to a loud climax

• Straight after that, listen to the notes at the end of this motive: Beethoven slightly extends the theme by adding two longer notes after it


Development Section• These longer notes then take on their own

structural role, again being passed between the strings and woodwind sections

• Beethoven strips the music down further by taking away one of these notes so that just a single minim is passed back and forth

• This gives the music the feel of completely winding down, especially as it also gets quieter

• Just when you think the music has calmed down, the four-note motive makes a dramatic reappearance, leading the music back in to the recapitulation


RecapitulationO Traditionally, the recapitulation re-

establishes the tonic key after all the explorations of the development section

O It will sound pretty similar to the exposition: The first and second subject are played again, but this time the second subject should also be in the tonic


RecapitulationO Sometimes a coda is added on to the

end of the movement, further re-establishing the home key

O Beethoven typically breaks the mould early on in the recapitulation, giving a solo oboe a short cadenza before continuing on with business!


Recapitulation

Again, he pushes the boundaries of what would have been expected at the time by making the listener think that the whole movement could finish in C major, not C minor, the original key!


RecapitulationO The coda would traditionally have

tied up any loose ends for a neat finish, but Beethoven continues the tension, building more contrasts between short notes and longer, legato phrases

O Eventually though, the four-note motive reappears and we are transported back to C minor for a suitably dramatic ending


Experiences and Outcomes

O Having reflected on my personal experiences, including participation and engagement with professionals, I can listen to a wide range of music and identify and analyse technical aspects, make informed judgments and express personal opinions on my own and others’ work [EXA 4-19a]


sonata form

Entertainment & Humor

movementcopyright sophie

rhythmiccopyright sophie

subjectcopyright sophie

replayedcopyright sophie

eyecopyright sophie

repeatedcopyright sophie

toniccopyright sophie

piececopyright sophie